Computer viruses are a well-known threat, but did you know there are many different types of computer viruses? Let's look at the various types and see how they differ and the dangers they pose. We'll examine trojans, macro viruses, polymorphic viruses, and more.
Different Kinds of Computer Threats
The term computer virus is well known. There are different kinds of viruses however, and some of these types are less well known than others. Viruses have been around almost since the beginning of computers. Before almost all computers were networked, viruses would spread much more slowly. They often spread on floppy disks; it was important to scan the disks to ensure that viruses were not present. Viruses can spread much more quickly today with the near ubiquitous connectivity to the Internet.
There are several different kinds of computer viruses. The possible types have expanded as operating systems have grown in features and complexity. The same is true of software programs, scripting languages, and server applications. Programmers are trained these days to work to limit the possibilities of virus infection, and there are programming tools to assist in strengthening code. Still, viruses are prevalent. Let's look at the different kinds of viruses.
Types of Viruses
Boot sector viruses - Computer operating systems use part of the hard disk when starting up after the computer is turned on. This area of the hard disk is called the boot sector. When a virus infects the boot sector it can load itself before the operating system. When floppy disks (which also have boot sectors) were common they could be used to boot as well and were a common vector for infection.
Memory resident viruses - These viruses stay in memory, like the name suggests. Others just move from file to file and program and program.
Polymorphic viruses - These change their "shape" to make them harder for anti-virus software to detect.
Macro viruses - Many business software programs and suites have macro language and scripting features that can be converted to use for viruses.
CSS viruses - Browsers that have scripting functionality enabled can be exploited by cross-site scripting. Web sites with advertisements that come from another source (as most do) can be especially vulnerable.
Cavity viruses - These viruses hide within executable files using the "free space" within the files so that the total file size does not change and arouse suspicion.
Metamorphic viruses - these rewrite themselves each time they infect a new file.
Trojans - A trojan appears to be one type of file or program but is actually a virus.
Worms - Worms do not require user actions to spread, they move from system to system over networks on their own. For more information see my articles on computer worms, specifically the Conficker worm, and how to protect your computers and networks from them.
Forewarned Is Forearmed
The best defense is to ensure you have anti-virus software installed and keep it up to date. Most modern anti-virus software automatically updates, but don't take it for granted that this is happening. Many personal firewalls will also provide protection against viruses and against their spread. I hope this article has broadened your view of computer viruses.
Source of article:http://www.brighthub.com
Showing posts with label computer viruses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label computer viruses. Show all posts
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
What You Need To Know About Computer Viruses
What, another computer security article? Who needs it? Aren't we tired of all that techie stuff that only geeks can comprehend? Virus my foot! But seriously. Computer security is an important topic and those who neglect it will surely get themselves in trouble sooner or later.
There is much confusion about what exactly a computer virus is. To many people a virus is simply any kind of bad thing that happens to their computer. This would be more or less correct around 1995, but since then several other threats have appeared and using a blanket term like 'virus' for all of them is misleading. Having said that, I don't mean any disrespect to the word 'virus'. After all, it is the granddaddy of all malicious software (or malware for short).
Old School Viruses
At first viruses were rather simple-minded, although dangerous at times. All they wanted was to enter your computer and destroy some data. Their favorite way of transmission was to attach themselves to otherwise harmless programs.
Worms
As "state of the art" viruses developed, a new breed came to the scene: worms. This charming name is used to describe a type of virus that not only infects the host machine, but also replicates itself over the network. In practice that means that a well-written worm can create real mayhem around the world in a matter of days. It is estimated that damage from some famous worms reaches billions of dollars.
Trojan Horses
Many programs, multimedia or other goodies can be found on the Internet. Often they are free and, let's face it, there are very few things that people like more than free stuff. The trouble with some free software is that it also comes with one or more viruses already included free of charge. Hence the name "Trojan Horse".
Are viruses good for my computer?
Absolutely! If you want to get rid of all that data clogging up your hard drive, a virus is a wonderful solution. If you want your spanking new computer to slow down to a crawl, then a virus is the way to go. If you're lucky, you may even get a worm which will not only help you clean up your computer from all those annoying files, but will also send a copy of itself to all your friends that it finds in your Outlook address book. In short, if you think that your computer is too fast and gives you too little trouble, a virus or two can really help!
Thankfully, you don't have to try too hard to get a virus. Simply connect an unprotected computer to the Internet for a few hours and let them come. That's all it takes.
Tips on How to Protect Yourself
Truth be told, viruses are not as hot as they used to be. It turns out that there's not much money in writing them. This of course doesn't mean that you should neglect the virus threat. There are quite a few dangerous viruses roaming the Internet. So keep your hard drive happy and don't let the viruses ruin your day. Here is what you can do:
1) Use a good antivirus program and update it regularly. Unfortunately, some antivirus products inflict more damage than actual viruses do. So, before getting an antivirus program, be sure to read some professional reviews and user feedback.
2) If you download software from the Internet, use only reputable sources. Scan the installation file with an antivirus program before running it.
3) Be very careful about opening email attachments. Be particularly vigilant if you use Microsoft Outlook.
Since you are reading this page, you are already in better shape than most computer users. So keep it this way and visit
Article Source:Articlecity
There is much confusion about what exactly a computer virus is. To many people a virus is simply any kind of bad thing that happens to their computer. This would be more or less correct around 1995, but since then several other threats have appeared and using a blanket term like 'virus' for all of them is misleading. Having said that, I don't mean any disrespect to the word 'virus'. After all, it is the granddaddy of all malicious software (or malware for short).
Old School Viruses
At first viruses were rather simple-minded, although dangerous at times. All they wanted was to enter your computer and destroy some data. Their favorite way of transmission was to attach themselves to otherwise harmless programs.
Worms
As "state of the art" viruses developed, a new breed came to the scene: worms. This charming name is used to describe a type of virus that not only infects the host machine, but also replicates itself over the network. In practice that means that a well-written worm can create real mayhem around the world in a matter of days. It is estimated that damage from some famous worms reaches billions of dollars.
Trojan Horses
Many programs, multimedia or other goodies can be found on the Internet. Often they are free and, let's face it, there are very few things that people like more than free stuff. The trouble with some free software is that it also comes with one or more viruses already included free of charge. Hence the name "Trojan Horse".
Are viruses good for my computer?
Absolutely! If you want to get rid of all that data clogging up your hard drive, a virus is a wonderful solution. If you want your spanking new computer to slow down to a crawl, then a virus is the way to go. If you're lucky, you may even get a worm which will not only help you clean up your computer from all those annoying files, but will also send a copy of itself to all your friends that it finds in your Outlook address book. In short, if you think that your computer is too fast and gives you too little trouble, a virus or two can really help!
Thankfully, you don't have to try too hard to get a virus. Simply connect an unprotected computer to the Internet for a few hours and let them come. That's all it takes.
Tips on How to Protect Yourself
Truth be told, viruses are not as hot as they used to be. It turns out that there's not much money in writing them. This of course doesn't mean that you should neglect the virus threat. There are quite a few dangerous viruses roaming the Internet. So keep your hard drive happy and don't let the viruses ruin your day. Here is what you can do:
1) Use a good antivirus program and update it regularly. Unfortunately, some antivirus products inflict more damage than actual viruses do. So, before getting an antivirus program, be sure to read some professional reviews and user feedback.
2) If you download software from the Internet, use only reputable sources. Scan the installation file with an antivirus program before running it.
3) Be very careful about opening email attachments. Be particularly vigilant if you use Microsoft Outlook.
Since you are reading this page, you are already in better shape than most computer users. So keep it this way and visit
Article Source:Articlecity
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
